The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

[Mark Rand]

I like to occasionally use stuff from GURPS. One of their more interesting Social Disadantages is the "weirdness magnet".

 

Strange and bizarre things happen to someone with this disadvantage with alarming frequency. Nothing immediately fatal will happen. While it could be good, it usually very inconvenient.

 

Any ideas would be helpful.

[Badger]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I immediately thought Unluck. But, then the occasional good thing happens so I dont know.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I generally do this as a Hunted by weirdness (mildly punish). It can go as high as severely punish and more powerful if the universe really has it in for you. Unluck and Luck are a given.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

Here's how The Master List of Limitations defines it:

 

 

Weirdness Magnet

Infrequent, Greatly: 10 Points

 

Type: Physical Limitation

Description: Strange things happen to and around this character. This is not a truly threatening Disadvantage, but it is a continuous nuisance. The character constantly finds himself dealing with odd circumstances and (relatively) odd people. New Agers and Psychics tend to encounter the character with incredibly frequency, FBI Agents searching for the truth bump into him on a daily basis, and so on. The reasons for the character having this Disadvantage are up to the player.

[Badger]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I am going to have remember to look at that limitation list more thoroughly. I am always getting social and psych mixed up. Usually wanting to make something that should be a social lim into a psych lim. Than vice versa.

[Mephron]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I have a character with that disad, as Lord Liaden posted it. He's a mage, the scion of the greatest family of black magicians in the world, and he spent years denying his magical heritage. As a result, excess mystic power that he should have been using swirls around him, causing him to be more 'visible' to magical situations.

 

As a result, the character has about 15 points of contacts based on various weird situations he's gotten into while he wandered the United States looking for himself. (A retired succubus, a vampire who serves as a sherriff's deputy, four homunculi who are a hivemind, a tanuki in Denver...)

 

It's great for RP purposes.

[Mark Rand]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

Tim Clark, whether he's the alter ego of Isis or Solara, will have this disadvantage. Either magical alter ego will occasionally run into three witchy sisters who happen to be the campaign's version of The Charmed Ones.

[Alverant]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I'd do it as a hunted, mildly punish, with NCI since weirdness can happen ANYWHERE. I'd also restrict it to not-so-serious campaigns. In serious campaigns, remove the mildly punish.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: The "weirdness magnet" disadvantage

 

I generally use the Master List version... as for what *happens*.....

 

Well, Paxton Huntly's a good example. The Fox, from Scales out of Balance, has had his Weirdness Magnet result in accidentally pumping his Hulk-clone teammate up to even bigger levels than usual.

 

In the (relatively) near future, I expect his computer to fall in love with him, his power armor to develop sentience, and for a very strange robot to be built for said computer to inhabit.

 

The weirdness should match the flavor of the character, but really, the sky's the limit. :evil grin: